B&Bs, rental cottages are popular in the valley

The Yamhill Valley has long been known for its charming bed and breakfast inns. In recent years, even more of these intimately personalized accommodations have come on the scene — some quaint and picturesque, others decidedly upscale.

From the stately Queen Anne Victorian Joseph Mattey House west of Lafayette to the posh Black Walnut Inn in the Dundee Hills to the alpine chalet Steiger Haus just south of downtown McMinnville, the selection is remarkably diverse.

McMinnville’s A Tuscan Estate will wrap you in Colonial splendor. You’ll be surrounded by vineyards at peaceful Lobenhaus B&B, horse-stabled White Country Farm and sprawling Abbey Road Farms, all in the wine country east of Carlton.

In the town of Carlton, the historic R.R. Thompson House and the cozy Carlton Inn await those who thirst for immersion in wine tasting the moment they walk out the front door.

If you want to survey the world from a towering hilltop, there’s Youngberg Hill south of McMinnville. You can gaze across a private lake at Brookside Inn north of Lafayette, or relax in the garden of the Kelty House right in town.

In all cases, the key is to reserve early for popular weekends. There's a list of area B&Bs below.

An even newer twist to overnight lodging are private rental cottages, retreats & guesthouses (below). They’re cropping up both in town neighborhoods and country acreage all over the valley.

“The valley is a great place to live and work. It has everything we enjoy — the wine, the food and especially, the people. Once our B&B days are over, we plan to retire here,” says Jack Seed of the Joseph Mattey House. 

“We are blessed with some of the best wine grape growing territory in the world, bountiful foods grown locally, spectacular views, wonderfully moderate weather, and some of the best restaurants in the country," adds Wayne Bailey, owner of Youngberg Hill Vineyard and Inn.

"Our diverse agricultural environment coupled with the wine industry’s smaller 'family farm' structure, makes our environment friendly both to each other and to our guests.”  Care of Discover Yamhill County.